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I work for another fifteen minutes until Graham finally leaves his office. He’s holding his empty coffee cup, which means I’ve got a few minutes. Picking up a folder from my desk, I carry it into his office to make it seem like I’m delivering something.
I quickly hop onto his computer. Thankfully, he hasn’t locked it.
But I’m not thankful for long, not when I see the email. It’s the same one he had opened earlier. In fact, all the screens are the same. It’s like he’s been sitting in here, staring at them, trying to process what he did.
The email is from a man named Damien Whitaker. When I read the name, a shudder moves through me. Damien—that’s the name of the man who was watching Luke at the conference.
From: Damien Whitaker
To: Graham Rourke
Subject: We Need To Do MORE!!!!!!!!!!
We’ve taught him a lesson, but we haven’t done enough, old boy. We’ve got more work to do. We’re going to turn his world to SHRAPNEL, get it? We’re going to turn it to NOTHING.
DW
I jump to my feet, my heart threatening to break out of my chest, and almost run from the office. My eyes grow blurry, like they’re filled with tears.
I rush to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face. I can’t believe it, can’t accept it. Graham is working with Damien. Graham, who cares about this department and its future more than anything, has risked it all…
Why would he do that? I want to ask him, but I can’t. It would be like asking a stranger. I don’t know who he truly is under the mask he’s obviously been showing me all this time.
I take out my phone and text Luke.
Sera: Can we talk later? Maybe we can do a video call? I want to have a real conversation with you.
Back at my desk, I see that Graham’s door is closed again. No one has raised the alarm. I finish my report and drop it into his office. Graham doesn’t meet my eye. He just stares at his computer screen like it’s hypnotized him, as if he’s struggling to deal with what he’s done, the risk he’s taken.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I murmur.
“Uh, sure,” he replies. “See you then.”
I go home and open my laptop, searching for Damien Whitaker. His LinkedIn profile appears on the first page: black hair tied up in a bun, a thin smile… a thin smile… Wait a second, he looks just like the guy who spilled coffee all over my laptop. Am I going nuts, or is it the same guy? Is it possible there was something on that laptop they didn’t want me to see? That seems a little far fetched, but then again, I never, not in a million years, would have believed Graham capable of sabotaging his own work.
My phone vibrates.
Luke: It will be late, probably one or two AM for you.
Sera: That’s okay. I’ll wait.
But moments after sending the text, doubt curls through me. If I tell Luke, will he make it public? It will ruin Graham and Ellie’s lives: corrupt what little time they have left together.
Hell, Graham, why did you have to do this? You were like a father to me.
Chapter Sixteen
Luke
The prospect of seeing Sera keeps my fire burning all day and well into the evening. As a man responsible for thousands of jobs, I focus on my work, do my duty as CEO and majority shareholder. But in the back of my mind, I’m with Sera, looking into her gorgeous green eyes, reliving every moment we shared together a thousand times.
I’m not sure she’s still going to be awake when I finally get home at eleven PM.
Luke: I’m finally free from work.
She replies straight away.
Sera: Good, I’ve got my laptop set up for a video call. I’ve been waiting.